How lawyers legally steal people’s land in Uganda
A lawyer approaches a landowner, offering to "help" them protect their property by drafting an agreement meant to safeguard their land rights.
In a shocking revelation during a recent appearance on Radio 4, Hon. Fred Mukasa Mbidde exposed a growing scheme in Uganda where unscrupulous lawyers exploit legal loopholes to steal land from unsuspecting owners.
According to Mbidde, this alarming practice has become more common, with lawyers manipulating legal processes to enrich themselves at the expense of innocent landowners.
“This is a well-orchestrated scam where lawyers approach landowners under the guise of helping them secure their land, but they end up stealing it through forged agreements and court manipulations,” Mbidde said during the interview.
Here’s how the scam typically unfolds:
A lawyer approaches a landowner, offering to “help” them protect their property by drafting an agreement meant to safeguard their land rights. The agreement includes the lawyer’s name, the client’s details, the amount of money involved, and signatures from both parties. On the surface, it appears like a legitimate deal to ensure the landowner’s property is protected.
However, behind the scenes, the lawyer (or their associates) forges additional signatures and keeps the original agreement. Time passes, and when the specified date arrives, the lawyer demands payment that the landowner is unaware of. When the landowner “fails” to pay, the lawyer takes them to court without their knowledge.
Mbidde highlighted how the fraud deepens: “What makes this so insidious is that the landowner is not even aware there’s a case against them. The lawyer even goes as far as hiring another lawyer to represent the landowner in court without their knowledge.”
The court, unaware of the scam, proceeds with the case and, since the landowner is absent, rules in favor of the lawyer. The outcome is often a consent order, legally binding the landowner to pay or settle the case out of court. The landowner, still unaware, is now found guilty of breaching an agreement they did not know existed.
Mbidde described how the final blow comes when the lawyer applies for an attachment of the landowner’s assets, specifically targeting their land.
“Since land cannot be transported, the lawyer simply secures a court order to have the land title transferred. They claim that the landowner has refused to hand over the title, and with a court order, they have the title switched without the owner even knowing.”
The lawyer then changes the land title with the Uganda Land Board, while the unsuspecting landowner continues to hold the original title. Eventually, the landowner may face eviction without any understanding of what happened.
“This is a serious flaw in our legal and land management system, where people are losing their land without even stepping foot in court. It’s legal theft, and the people need to be made aware of these tactics,” Mbidde warned.
He called for urgent reforms to close these legal loopholes, which are being exploited by dishonest individuals.
“If we don’t address these issues now, more Ugandans will lose their property, and trust in the legal system will erode even further,” Mbidde concluded.
